The highly-anticipated sequel to 2018’s Dynasties features a whole new cast of animal characters fighting to survive and secure their genetic line
“Families are one of the most powerful forces of nature” – Sir David Attenborough
(Toronto, ON – December 12, 2022) – Dynasties II (6×60’), narrated by Sir David Attenborough, brings audiences a whole new cast of animal characters with their powerful, gripping stories. From the southern tip of the snow-capped Andes to dusty plains in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro to vast wetlands fed by the flooding of the Zambezi River – the series captures never-before-seen moments, offering fresh insight into the secret lives of some of the most charismatic animals on Earth. Dynasties II features surprising, dramatic and heart-warming stories with iconic favourites and unsung heroes from the animal kingdom, including the elephant, cheetah, puma, hyena, meerkat and macaque. Dynasties II premieres Sunday, January 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BBC Earth in Canada. BBC Earth is also available via Prime Video with Dynasties II airing simultaneously from January 8.
In 2018, millions of viewers were captivated by each groundbreaking episode of Dynasties and the unbelievable daily struggles faced by David the chimpanzee, Charm the lioness, Blacktip the painted wolf and more. Now, the sequel will bring even more remarkable stories to life. Dynasties II will look at families and leaders; heroes and villains; triumph and tragedy. Each episode will delve deep into the lives of individual groups, filming in a single, iconic location, focusing on a protagonist leader and following them on their daunting quest to keep their family safe and establish their genetic line or dynasty.
Each a leader in their own right; Angelina the matriarch elephant, Mac the alpha male macaque, cheetah Kali, Rupestre the puma, Maghogho the meerkat queen and hyena clan-leader Suma, are all confronted by a rapidly changing world with relentless competition for dwindling resources that stacks perilous odds against them. These pioneers must adapt quickly, or face losing their dynasty forever.
Mike Gunton, Executive Producer and Creative Director at BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “Being able to tell these stories is a wildlife filmmaker’s dream – and just like in Season one, they are going to be a gripping rollercoaster ride.”
Dynasties II is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America and Bilibili. The series was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer and Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Natural History and Science. The Executive Producer is Mike Gunton; the Series Producer is Simon Blakeney. The narrator is Sir David Attenborough. BBC Studios is handling global distribution.
For more information on Dynasties II, visit https://bbcearth.ca/
@BBCEarthCanada @blueantmedia
BBC Earth seeks to inspire you by sharing the incredible wonders of our universe. It will take you on a thrilling journey of discovery, from the smallest creature under the microscope to the limitless expanses of space. BBC Earth will bring you face to face with heart-pounding action, mind-blowing ideas and the wonder of being human. In Canada, BBC Earth is owned and operated by Blue Ant Media in partnership with BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. bbcearth.ca
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Notes to Editor:
Fun Facts about the animals featured in Dynasties II:
Puma:
- Puma are very adaptable; they are able to survive across the Americas from urban landscapes to freezing mountains.
- Pumas are largely solitary.
Elephant:
- Elephant calves need 10 litres of milk a day.
- Calves can suckle until four years old.
- Elephants can live to over 70 years old.
- Elephants spend 16 hours a day eating.
- Elephants communicate using infrasound (low frequency rumbles that travel through the ground and are picked up by the feet of other elephants).
- Elephants have over 150,000 trunk muscles.
Cheetah:
- The name cheetah comes from a Hindi word, chita, meaning ‘spotted one’.
- Cheetah can accelerate faster than a supercar, 0-75 mph in two seconds. During these high-speed maneuvers, the forces going through a cheetah’s legs are huge, enough to break a human leg bone.
- During high speed pursuits, cheetahs use their long tail as a counter balance, allowing them to corner with incredible agility.
- Cheetah are physically unable to roar but they can purr, which they do with enthusiasm when together in family groups. The other vocal sounds they make are hiss, growl, chirr, meow, chirp, and howl.
Hyena:
- The rank of a spotted hyena is not correlated with size or fighting ability; instead it is determined by the mother’s social rank and allies.
- Spotted Hyena are thought to be one of the most intelligent of the large African land carnivores.
- The social organization of the spotted hyena is closer to that of macaques and baboons than that of other carnivores, such as lions, wolves or wild dogs.
Meerkats:
- Meerkats perform a “war dance” where they jump with their tails erect when confronting a rival mob, in order to intimidate them.
- Meerkats are supremely adapted to the desert. They don’t need to drink water as they get all of their water from their food. It is metabolic water – they don’t ‘drink’ their prey but when they digest them their body makes water from the food.
- Meerkats are one of the few animals that eat scorpions as part of their diet – they are immune to the venom. They also have an increased tolerance of venomous snake bites.
Macaques:
- Barbary macaque males are very involved parents! They do lots of parental care for the babies and infants.
- In winter they huddle together at night in big family groups to keep warm.
- Barbary Macaques are classified as endangered –in the last 25 years the number of wild barbary macaques is estimated to have more than halved.
Filming Firsts:
- First film crew to work with scientists to document the lives of the Liuwa cheetahs for over two years.
- First time filming an elephant mother raising twins.
- First time filming twin elephants born several days apart.
- First film crew to film a power struggle between two females to become the alpha of a hyena clan.
- First to film a female mother puma risking her life in a big fight to defend her four cubs against an intruding male, and battling for space with a rival female.